When the Problem Hits the Fan: Take Back Your P.O.W.E.R.

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Who’s to Blame?

Toto Wolff, Team Principal of the Mercedes F1 team, is famous for his no-blame culture. One of his most powerful lines on accountability is:

“The moment you start blaming others, you’re giving up control.”

As I’ve shared before in this newsletter, I’ve become a huge fan of Netflix’s Drive to Survive. Over and over again, Wolff emphasizes the same leadership mindset:

“Don’t blame the person, focus on the problem.”

While working out the other morning (and yes, still watching Drive to Survive), I saw a stark contrast to Wolff’s leadership style.

Gunther Steiner, Team Principal of the Haas F1 team, was under pressure for his team’s poor performance in 2020. After one of his drivers had a bad pit stop, the blame game kicked in fast. The driver had made a mistake by not putting the car in the proper gear, costing them several positions. But Steiner didn’t stop at identifying the issue, he made sure everyone knew it was the driver’s fault.

The result? A demoralized team and a string of cascading failures that followed that season.

Now compare that with Mercedes. Watch one of their post-race debriefs and you’ll see what true accountability looks like. Each team member, whether it’s the driver, the mechanic, or Toto himself, owns their part. No finger pointing. No defensiveness. Just clarity, accountability, and the focus on improvement.

Because when a crisis hits, the best leaders don’t ask “Who messed up?”, they ask, “What’s the root cause, and what can we do next?”

Wolff says it best:

“A problem is an opportunity wearing work clothes.”

So what should we do when the problem hits the fan?

It’s time to take back your P.O.W.E.R.

💥 P.O.W.E.R. – A Framework for Real Accountability

P – Problem
Define the problem clearly. What are we actually dealing with? Stay focused on the what, not the who. Don’t chase blame, trace root causes.

O – Outcome (or Impact)
What’s the potential outcome or damage? Can we contain it? What ripple effects might it have if we don’t act?

W – Workaround
What quick action can we take to stabilize things? This isn’t the final fix, it’s the first move to stop the bleeding.

E – Examination
Once you’ve got breathing room, debrief. What actually happened? What could we have done differently? What was in our control, and what wasn’t? Stay objective, stay curious.

R – Resolution (or Solution)
Now design your long-term fix. A new system. A better process. A clarified expectation. The workaround was a band-aid. This is the treatment.

When we preserve the dignity of our people and focus on the facts, not the fault, we build a culture of safety. And in that kind of environment, people don’t play it safe, they take bold swings, push boundaries, and achieve incredible things.

An F1 team doesn’t win by hiding mistakes. Neither do we.

I once heard a former CEO say:

“I expect every one of my leaders to make mistakes that cost the company millions. That’s how they grow. Just don’t hide it. Don’t repeat it. Learn from it.”

Mistakes are inevitable.
Blame is optional.
Growth is the goal.

Let’s lead like that.